Federated Farmers Meet

Northland Age, Volume XVIII, Issue 41, 25 February 1949, Page 1

Federated Farmers Meet

Members Decry Lack of Support

At the meeting of the Kaitaia Branch of the Federated Farmers I held yesterday, domestic matters | relative to increasing the annua! subscription to £2/10/- from £1 10/- came up for discussion. During the discussion, Mr. A. W. | Masters spoke strongly on the fact hat farmers as a whole were apathetic t 0 the doings of their own organisation. “I maintain that if we farmers got together,” said Mr. Masters, “That we would be strong enough to dictate \ policy to the government, and demand that trades unions listen to reason instead of having all this silly goslow and strike tactics that we are having from them today. “We see these fellows together hav- j ; ing their meetings in their hundreds,” P I went on Mr. Masters, “and yet when j | farmers have a meeting they are rep- j resented by only a few who can manI age to leave their farms for a few hours.” Mr. J. Cowie spoke earnestly in support of Mr. Master’s remarks, and stated that it was pitiable to see so few present at Federation meetings. “Of 600 suppliers to the factory,” 1 said Mr. Cowie, “How many do we see at our meetings. I think it’s be- < cause we don’t get enough publicity < and see to it that w e get that pub- ! ; licity.’ I 1 “Our Federation is doing a great j < work,” stated the chairman, Mr. J. j < Morrison. “In Auckland, the Federa- j t tion has fought the cases of 31 farm- '

ers who were losing their lands by compulsory acquisition of lands.” Mr. C. B. Michie explained to the. meeting thb*»liificulty that was being experienced by the Provincial authorthe Federation injfaMffig sufficient publicity '*»— - 'TT? "showed that -the activities of the Federation were so many and diversified, that it was almost impossible to get the full story into the j newspapers, no matter what arrangej ments were attempted, j ‘‘l am sure,” he said, “that if farm- ; eis were sufficiently aware of what' 1 ' their Federation was doing for them, they would attend the meetings and air their views. Dairy farmer in particular are very busy men, and I with our membership s 0 scattered it seems to be almost impossible to get rthem together at any one time.” j “This is not like an ordinary trades (union where all members are'on-the : spot to discuss their problems and grievances,” Mr. Michie continued “We can only let one another know of what we want and what goes on through our central executives and what might appear in the Press, plus our own publication, which, unfortunately, we do not read enough.” After more discussion, it w'as decided to support the proposed raising of the annual subscription, with only or.c dissentient, that being Mr. Goodhew who had strenuously advocated